Italy, US discuss delayed pay for Italian workers at American bases
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About 2,000 Italian employees at US bases remain unpaid for October due to the US government shutdown, prompting talks between Rome and Washington.
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An aerial view of Aviano Air Base is taken from an HH-60W Jolly Green II during a training mission for the 57th Rescue Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, May 27, 2025 (United States Air Force via wikimedia commons)
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that around 2,000 Italian civilian employees working at US military bases in Italy have not received their salaries for October due to the US government shutdown.
The ministry explained that the majority of these employees work at the Aviano Air Base and the Army base in Vicenza in the northeast of the country, noting that all of them are employed under Italian contracts despite being linked to US institutions.
The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Rome is in talks with US authorities to find an urgent solution to the crisis and ensure that employees receive their due payments as soon as possible.
In this context, the US government shut down most of its operations in early October after Congress and the White House failed to reach a funding agreement amid deep partisan divisions, triggering a crisis that resulted in many federal employees losing their jobs.
Key issues: Obamacare subsidies, fiscal year funding
For weeks, Republicans have been advocating for a short-term extension of fiscal year 2025 federal funding, known as a continuing resolution, which would maintain current spending levels and allow lawmakers until November 21 to reach an agreement on the fiscal year 2026 budget. The proposal is mostly devoid of unrelated policy provisions, except for an additional $88 million designated to bolster security for members of Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court.
Democrats have maintained that they will oppose any federal funding measure that fails to include an extension of the enhanced Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of 2025, a pandemic-era provision that many Republicans argue has outlived its necessity.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson have indicated their willingness to consider a revised version of the subsidies, though they have rejected the idea of linking the matter to the broader funding negotiations.
The House approved the continuing resolution on September 19, and Johnson has kept his chamber out of session since that time in an effort to pressure Senate Democrats into accepting the GOP bill, which they have rejected 13 times since then.
'Possible to get something done'
Throughout the shutdown, Senate Republicans have pointed to various developments as potential reasons for Senate Democrats to agree to a deal, including the nationwide "No Kings" protests, federal workers going without paychecks, the start of open enrollment across the country on November 1, and now the looming possibility of the shutdown setting a new record later Tuesday night.
Sen. Mike Rounds noted that both Tuesday’s elections and the potential record-setting shutdown, seen by some as a protest against the president, could influence how much longer Senate Democrats choose to extend the standoff. "Here's the reality, they're at about 25% approval rating right now, and as one of their colleagues told me, the only way they can really go up is to show their base that they're fighting with the president, and that's what they're doing right now," he stated.
He added, "So once they get to the point where they think they made their point, then I think there's a possibility of actually getting something done."
